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Democratic National Convention: Ones to watch

The people behind the Democratic convention have a lot at stake. | POLITICO Composite

For Booker, the convention will test whether his relationship with the Obama campaign and national Democrats has mended. And his role as co-chairman of the committee that drafts the party’s official platform is not without its own set of challenges: Democrats have gone back and forth about whether to include support for same-sex marriage, and the issue will certainly arise during the drafting process. By handling the process smoothly and showing his full support for the president during the week, Booker can re-ingratiate himself to the Democratic players and prove his loyalty on the national stage.

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Siler joined Organizing for America, the Obama campaign’s grass-roots arm, in 2009, just months after the president took office. She’s been in North Carolina ever since, first as OFA’s state director and then as state director for the official campaign. A veteran of both Planned Parenthood and Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential bid, Siler has been involved in national politics for almost a decade. But her challenge between now and November, as for all Obama’s staff in North Carolina, is a big one. Obama won the state by a narrow margin in 2008 — just 14,000 votes. In the almost four years since then, the state has become increasingly tough for the president; when the state voted in May to outlaw same-sex marriage just as Obama was announcing his support for the policy, that further raised doubts that he will be able to pull off another victory there this November. The convention is a chance for Democrats to show that the race for North Carolina is closer than people think. To achieve that, Siler will play a big role.

DAVID PARKER, CHAIRMAN, NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATIC PARTY

It’s been a tough year for David Parker: The embattled party chief came under fire for his involvement in a sexual harassment scandal at the state party. The debacle forced the state party’s then-executive director, Jay Parmley, to resign in April. Parker announced he wouldn’t leave, despite enormous pressure from both Gov. Perdue and national Democrats. As a result, national Democrats have made efforts to work around the state party in funding key races in the Tarheel State, including the gubernatorial race and a handful of congressional contests.

For Parker, who’s become somewhat of a pariah on his own turf, the convention will be a challenge: He has the opportunity to improve his image and perhaps repair his legacy, or he could make things worse for himself. The way Parker interacts with the hordes of national Democrats who descend on the state will certainly be one of the week’s most interesting things to watch.